Retainer for sheath knives



Aug- 18, 1970 M. w. SEGUINE 3,524,570

RETAINER Fon SHEATH KNIVES Filed sept. 4., 196s :Zgl IMQ. @5.

ATTORNEYS vPatented Aug. is, 1970 3,524,570 RETAINER FOR SHEATH KNIVES Merle W. Seguine, P.O. Box 989, Juneau, Alaska 99801 Filed Sept. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 757,309 Int. Cl. B26b, 29/02 U.S. Cl. 224-2 4 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A retainer for a sheath knife which pivots to a locking position to secure the knife in the sheath and can be pivoted to a release position to` permit the knife to be removed from the sheath.

Sheath knives of the type adapted to be attached to a belt for use by hunters, fishermen, trappers, and outdoorsmen generally oftentimes becomes dislodged from the sheath and are lost since, in conventional sheath knives, there is no means, other than gravity, to retain the knife within the sheath.

Prior art retainers for sheath knives require that both the knife and the sheath be modified and add considerably to the cost of the knife. Most of the known prior art retainers require a two-hand operation to hold the retainer in retracted position while the knife is withdrawn.

The present invention is d-irected to a retainer pivotally secured to the sheath and adapted to pivot into and out of locking engagement with a conventional semicircular opening in the cutting edge of the knife adjacent the handle of the knife. The retainer can be pvoted to released position where it will remain while the knife is removed from the sheath with the same hand that released the retainer.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a retainer for a sheath knife which is positive in its action and can be released and the knife withdrawn from the sheath with one hand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a retainer for sheath knives which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to use, and which is completely effective in its retaining of the knife in the sheath.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS IFIG. l is a side elevation of the invention shown par tially broken away and in section for convenience of illustration;

FIG. 2 is an edge view of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the retainer removed from the sheath partially broken away for convenience of illustration;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with the retainer in unlocked position; and

FIG. 5 is a transverse section of the invention taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures the reference numeral indicates generally a sheath knife constructed in accordance with the invention.

The sheath knife 10 includes a blade 11 of conventional shape and having a semicircular recess 12 formed in its cutting edge 13 adjacent the handle 14 securedto one end ofthe bladev -11. While therecess 12 has been illustrated as formed in the cutting edge 13 of the blade 11, it may also be formed in the back edge of the blade 11 when desired. A sheath generally indicated at 15 'includes a leather front panel 16, a leather pocket forming strip 17 having its outer edge coincident with the outer edge of the front panel 16. A pair of superposed leather rear panels 18, 19 form the rear of the sheath 1-5 and extend upwardly beyond the front panel 16'to form an integral loop 20 for attachment of the sheath 15 to a belt on the wearers body. The front panel 16, strip 17, and rear panels 18 and 19 are secured together by lines of stitching 21 to delineate a pocket 22 adapted to receive the blade 11. A rivet 23 extends through the front panel 16, strip 17, and rear panels 1-8 and 19 at the open upper end of the'pocket 22 to bind the sheath together.

Strip 17 terminates at 24 on the side of the knife opposite the rivet 23 and is cut away at 25 to form a recess,

opening outwardly of the sheath 15. A retainer 26 is po- Y sitioned between the front panel 16 and the rear panel 18 and is pivotally secured thereto by a pivot pin rivet 27, or -other suitable fastener such as a bolt or screw, extending therethrough. Retainer 26 has an elongated handle' 28 extending outwardly of the rivet 27 and adapted to lie in the recess 25 when the retainer 26 is in its locked position. The retainer 216 has an arcuate portion 29 which is concentric with the pivot rivet 27 and is further provided with a cam nose 30 which extends outwardly of the radius of the curved portion 29 for reasons to be assigned. The retainer 26 has a flat side 31 which is adapted to be swung into a position parallel to the line of withdrawal of the blade 11 from the sheath 15 and out of the path of the blade 11 completely. Surface friction of the surfaces of the retainer 26 and the adjacent surfaces of the panels 16 and 18 prevent the ready movement of the retainer 26, and the cam nose 30 engages against the recess 12 in the blade 111 to also provide resistance to the pivoting of the retainer 26 from a locked position, as illustrated in FIG. 1, to unlocked position, as illustrated in FIG. l4. 4In using the sheath knife 10, the handle 28 is grasped with the ngers and moved to the position illustrated in FIG; 4 whereupon the hand is transferred to the handle 14, and the knife blade 11 is withdrawn from the pocket 22 for conventional use of the knife. On returning the knife to the sheath 15, the retainer 26 is positioned as illustrated in FIG. 4 until after the knife is completely within the sheath 15, whereupon the retainer 26 is swung downwardly to the position illustrated in PIG. l with the blade 11 locked in the pocket 22 of the sheath 15.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spir-it of the invention.

IWhat is claimed is: 1. A sheath knife retainer comprising a sheath. said sheath having a knife blade receiving pocket therein, a knife blade adapted to be positioned in said sheath and having a semicircular recess formed in an edge thereof adjacent one end of said blade, and a retainer pivotally secured to said sheath for rotating into said recess to lock said blade in said sheath,

3 4 said retainer being provided with an arcuate portion leased position with said at surface parallel to and out coaxially arranged with its pivot and having a cam of the line of the said edge of said blade.

nose integrally formed therein extending outwardly of said pivot a distance greater than the radius of References Cited curvature of said arcuate portion. 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2. The structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein a -pivot 675 118 5/.1901 sweet pin secures said sheath together and said retainer is piv- 5271710 10/1950 Davidson muy mounted 0n Said PV"t Pn- 2,528,059 10/1950 Hendrick.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said retainer 2 717 442 9/,1955 smi/1L has an elongated handle extending outwardly therefrom 10 2:72154() 10/1955 Schultz 3O 151 XR and said sheath has a recess to receive said handle with said miner in locked position GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examlner 4. The structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein said 1U S C1.X R

retainer has a flat surface adapted to be swung into a re- 30-151 

